Kaede touched her arm. “Fresh eyes can be good. We all know every man needs a strong woman behind him.” She glanced at Kaylanthea, smirking. “Or they need to step the fuck back and let us do the work.”
They both looked to Lora as if waiting for her response. These two were trouble, but maybe in the best way. Taking one of the wine glasses from the table, Lora lifted her glass. “To a female-led future!”
The two queens returned her grin. Kaede’s was wide and enthusiastic, while Kaylanthea’s was approving but guarded.
“I’ll drink to that,” Kaede replied, clinking glasses with her, and Kaylanthea joined in.
Lora was about to ask them more about politics, but Kaylanthea glanced up at the large clock hanging on the wall and said, “I would love to chat more, Loraine, but alas, it’s time for my speech.”
As Kaylanthea excused herself, Kaede drew closer to Lora. “Royal speeches are the most boring part about being queen, if you ask me, but Thea is very good at it. It almost makes it bearable.”
“What makes her speeches so good?” Lora asked.
Kaede gave Lora an easy smile and lifted one of her jet-black eyebrows. “They’re short.”
Lora’s answering grin was genuine.
A sharp noise drew their attention to Kaylanthea as she put her spoon to her wine glass. Everyone halted their conversations as she addressed them.
“Thank you all for coming. I know it’s always quite a journey to cross the sea to reach our home here in Opalia,” Kaylanthea said. Her husband stood next to her, but he respectfully kept his distance and looked at her with pride. “With the contest drawing closer, I want to bring up an issue that’s close to my heart. As you all know, Quarnian has been exploring working with its people to increase everyone’s well-being. With lower taxes and a strong foundation of law, our crime rates have been continuously decreasing. I want to share our progress with you so that everyone—no matter who rules Liraen—can benefit from our—”
A jarring sound echoed through the hall. Glass exploded everywhere.
Lora turned to the large broken windows and watched in shock as masked fae stormed in, weapons raised. There were at least thirty of them.
Chaos broke out. Fae backed away from the windows, but some weren’t fast enough. The masked assailants didn’t wait to attack. As the royal fae tried to scramble away, the closest got caught by vines trapping their feet—earth magic. The attackers mercilessly slashed at the helpless fae.
Lora was frozen in place, not sure where to run to. The double doors she’d come through were now blocked by the attackers. Guards tried to storm in, but they were taken down faster than her eyes could track. Lora’s heart beat in the rhythm of the attacks, her head pounding from the noise and screams surrounding her.
An unrelenting stream of water hit a group of attackers. Lora turned to see Kaylanthea wielding her magic, fighting them off. Kaede stood close to her, deep in focus. The closest attacker to them ran forward, but one look from Kaede made him lower his weapon. Kaylanthea’s husband knocked him out with a china plate.
Fire exploded to her right. Wryen burned himself a path to the backdoor. He seemed only focused on getting himself out.
A mix of magic filled the air. So much was happening all at once. Everywhere Lora glanced there was violence, power, blood. Her eyes burned from the smoke clinging to the air and the magic filling the hall, too overwhelming for her senses.
One of the attackers charged towards her. Lora frantically glanced around, searching for something,anything,to defend herself with.
Sweat made her hands clammy as she tried to channel her fire. She only had seconds left. The bloody sword of her opponent was dangerously close. She lifted her hand, thinking of her fire, the only weapon close by.Come on, Lora.
Her hand remained cold, and the attacker was almost upon her. Should she run? Where was her bloody fire when she needed it?
The blade swung towards her; she could almost feel it on her skin, tearing at her, but all at once, the fae froze, a sword impaling his chest from behind. When he dropped dead, Lora’s eyes found Layken with a disturbing smile on his face. Pulling at the bloodied sword, Layken drew it from the dead fae’s chest and inclined his head.
“Let’s go,” he said. In a trance, Lora followed him as he fought his way forward. Fire flowed through her veins, but her access seemed blocked by fear. Maybe she could get out of here before she committed any irrevocable deeds that would haunt her even more.
When they neared the back door, where a few advisors rushed through, Lora’s gaze fell on an attacker sneaking up on Kaylanthea’s husband. No one else seemed to notice.
Mind in overdrive, Lora tore herself from Layken’s grip and charged forward, yelling a warning. She was too far, but someone seemed to have heard her. The attacker was knocked to the side. Kaylanthea and her husband turned their heads to Rhay, who had intervened just in time. In all the chaos, Lora had lost sight of Rhay and Karwyn.
Giving Kaylanthea a brief nod, Rhay headed straight to Lora.
Layken was tearing at her arm, commanding her to move, but more fae were on them in an instant. A sigh flew from Layken’s lips, but she swore she heard him excitedly mutter, “Let’s play.”
Layken’s eyes darted between her and the attackers heading their way. “If you refuse to move, can you fight?” Layken asked as he tried to hold them off. Lora briefly noticed the back door had been blocked off by vines now. They were all trapped to be slaughtered. There was no way to run, and she realised she didn’t want to.
“She can fight,” Rhay said, appearing at her side with a sword in his right hand and a dagger in his other. He handed Lora the dagger. “Do your worst, love. Don’t hold back.” His gaze was hard, unyielding. She’d never seen him so serious.
Layken glanced at her, seeming unconvinced, but didn’t comment. There was no time. Layken was the first to storm forward, slashing through the stomachs of two fae with one swing before engaging in a fight with a third. His strikes were precise and deadly.
